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Work and Life in the Seattle Metro Area Will Cease — Post Earthquake

There is no living or working without water.

I have been saying for some time now that people who live in metro areas of Seattle will have to pick up and leave the city, likely walking out, post earthquake, see my previous op-ed in The Seattle Times, Do you have an earthquake relocation plan? You should.

Now there is another report coming from Seattle Public Utilities about the status of their water system — post earthquake, see Seattle, suburbs would lose all water pressure within 24 hours of catastrophic earthquake, city study says. This confirms my assumption that people will need to leave the city and other areas.

How long would people be without water, estimated one to two months, on the high side, longer perhaps if Christchurch's experience means anything.

Most importantly it would mean no water for drinking or cooking. No water for sanitation or firefighting. No water pressure means you cannot occupy a high-rise building due to no water. This all sounds problematic to me! Basically, life cannot be sustained. Not to mention you might not have electrical power for a period of time to go with no water. 

FYI the population in Seattle is around 700,000 people and I'm betting that doubles during the workday. Lesson: Have a good pair of walking shoes with you if the earthquake happens when you are in Seattle at work.

Lastly, no the government is not going to be able to bring cases of water to you. Remember, the road transportation system could be disrupted for months, if not years. 

Nathaniel Matthews shared the link above.

 

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.